Put my sick cause into his hands that hates me?
Alas! he has banish'd me his bed already;
His love, too long ago: I am old, my lords,
And all the fellowship I hold now with him
Is only my obedience. What can happen
To me above this wretchedness? all your studies
Make me a curse like this.

Cam.

Your fears are worse.

Q. Kath. Have I liv'd thus long-(let me speak

myself,

Since virtue finds no friends)—a wife, a true one?
A woman (I dare say, without vain-glory)

Never yet branded with suspicion?

Have I with all my full affections

Still met the king? lov'd him next heaven? obey'd him?

Been, out of fondness, superstitious to him?

Almost forgot my prayers to content him?

And am I thus rewarded? 't is not well, lords.
Bring me a constant woman to her husband,
One that ne'er dream'd a joy beyond his pleasure;
And to that woman, when she has done most,
Yet will I add an honour,-a great patience.

Wol. Madam, you wander from the good we aim at. Q. Kath. My lord, I dare not make myself so guilty To give up willingly that noble title

Your master wed me to: nothing but death
Shall e'er divorce my dignities.

Wol.

Pray, hear me.

Q. Kath. Would I had never trod this English earth, Or felt the flatteries that grow upon it!

Ye have angels' faces, but heaven knows your hearts
What will become of me now, wretched lady?
I am the most unhappy woman living.

Alas! poor wenches, where are now your fortunes?
[To her Women.

Shipwrack'd upon a kingdom, where no pity,

No friends, no hope; no kindred weep for me;
Almost no grave allow'd me:-Like the lily,
That once was mistress of the field and flourish'd,
I'll hang my head and perish.

Wol.
If your grace
Could but be brought to know our ends are honest,
You'd feel more comfort: why should we, good lady,
Upon what cause, wrong you? alas! our places,
The way of our profession is against it;

We are to cure such sorrows, not to sow them.
For goodness' sake, consider what you do;

How you may hurt yourself, ay, utterly

Grow from the king's acquaintance, by this carriage.
The hearts of princes kiss obedience,

So much they love it; but to stubborn spirits
They swell, and grow as terrible as storms.
I know you have a gentle, noble temper,
A soul as even as a calm: Pray think us

Those we profess, peace-makers, friends, and servants.
Cam. Madam, you'll find it so.

virtues

You wrong your

With these weak women's fears. A noble spirit,

As yours was put into you, ever casts

Such doubts, as false coin, from it. The king loves you Beware, you lose it not: For us, if you please

To trust us in your business, we are ready

To use our utmost studies in your service.

Q. Kath. Do what ye will, my lords: And, pray, forgive me,

If I have us'd myself unmannerly;

You know, I am a woman, lacking wit

To make a seemly answer to such persons.

Pray, do my service to his majesty:

He has my heart yet; and shall have my prayers, While I shall have my life. Come, reverend fathers, Bestow your counsels on me: she now begs,

a Us'd myself-deported myself.

That little thought, when she set footing here,
She should have bought her dignities so dear. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Antechamber to the King's Apartment.

Enter the DUKE OF NORFOLK, the DUKE OF SUFFOLK, the EARL OF SURREY, and the Lord Chamberlain.

a

Nor. If you will now unite in your complaints And force them with a constancy, the cardinal Cannot stand under them: If you omit

The offer of this time, I cannot promise

But that you shall sustain more new disgraces,
With these you bear already.

Sur.

I am joyful
To meet the least occasion, that may give me
Remembrance of my father-in-law, the duke,
To be reveng'd on him.

Suf.

Which of the peers

Have uncontemn'd gone by him, or at least
Strangely neglected? when did he regard
The stamp of nobleness in any person,
Out of himself?

Cham. My lords, you speak your pleasures : What he deserves of you and me I know;

What we can do to him, (though now the time
Gives way to us,) I much fear. If you cannot
Bar his access to the king, never attempt

Anything on him; for he hath a witchcraft
Over the king in his tongue.

Nor.
O, fear him not;
His spell in that is out: the king hath found
Matter against him, that for ever mars

a Force-enforce. So in Measure for Measure :'

"Has he affections in him

That thus can make him bite the law by the nose,
When he would force it?"

The honey of his language. No, he 's settled,
Not to come off, in his displeasure.

I should be glad to hear such news as this
Once every hour.

Nor.
Believe it, this is true,
In the divorce, his contrary proceedings
Are all unfolded; wherein he appears,
As I would wish mine enemy.

Suf. The cardinal's letter to the pope miscarried,
And came to the eye o' the king: wherein was read,
How that the cardinal did entreat his holiness
To stay the judgment o' the divorce: For if
It did take place, "I do," quoth he, "perceive,
My king is tangled in affection to

A creature of the queen's, lady Anne Bullen."
Sur. Has the king this?

Suf.

Sur.

Believe it.

Will this work?

Cham. The king in this perceives him, how he

coasts,

And hedges, his own way. But in this point
All his tricks founder, and he brings his physic
After his patient's death; the king already
Hath married the fair lady.

Sur.

'Would he had!

Suf. May you be happy in your wish, my For, I profess, you have it.

Sur.

Trace the conjunction!

Suf.

Nor.

lord!

Now all my joy

My amen to 't!

All men's!

Suf. There's order given for her coronation :

Marry, this is yet but young, and may be left
To some ears unrecounted.-But, my lords,
She is a gallant creature, and complete

In mind and feature: I persuade me, from her
Will fall some blessing to this land, which shall
In it be memoriz'd.

Sur.

But, will the king

Digest this letter of the cardinal's?

The Lord forbid!

Nor.
Suf.

Marry, amen!

No, no;

There be more wasps that buzz about his nose,
Will make this sting the sooner. Cardinal Campeius
Is stolen away to Rome; hath ta'en no leave;
Has left the cause o' the king unhandled; and
Is posted, as the agent of our cardinal,

To second all his plot. I do assure you,
The king cried, ha! at this.

Cham.

And let him cry ha, louder!

Nor.

When returns Cranmer?

Now, God incense him

But, my lord,

Suf. He is return'd, in his opinions; which
Have satisfied the king for his divorce,
Together with all famous colleges

Almost in Christendom: shortly, I believe,
His second marriage shall be publish'd, and
Her coronation. Katharine no more
Shall be call'd queen; but princess dowager,
And widow to prince Arthur.

Nor.

This same Cranmer 's

A worthy fellow, and hath ta'en much pain
In the king's business.

Suf.

For it, an archbishop.
Nor.
Suf.

The cardinal

He has; and we shall see him

So I hear.

"T is so.